Just acquired the car - under hard acceleration, when shifting, the rpm goes higher, then it settles to the accurate rpm (almost like it is struggling for traction) - is this normal as to being a FWD with high torque

It does that in almost all gears - especially if I am on fourth and gun it, the rpm goes up like crazy, then settles down - but by the time it settles down, I am almost at redline, and need to shift

Is that normal? I tried to explain this as much as I can

 

The clutch is slipping.

 

I thought that could be the case, but the car has 80,000 miles - the previous owner had to be a really crappy driver to burn the clutch at these miles!!!!

Could there be other reasons?

 

Yea, bad driver + slave cylinder check valve = burned clutch

Mine had it too when I bought it, and it only had 60k miles.

Replace clutch and flywheel, and remove the check valve from the slave cylinder (there's a thread on how to do this, search for it). I suggest going aftermarket for clutch and flywheel, from Spec, Clutchmasters/AASCO or XLR8

 

OK - Thanks - any preference for which aftermarket - I see you went with spec - are there advantages for one over the other and vs the oem?

Thanks again

 

Go with the LUK clutch kit and flywheel from rockauto.com
About $400 shipped fpr BOTH!

They're the OEM suppler to Acura for these parts. Just replaced them myself. Couldn't tell the difference. Go with the OEM part for the slave cylinder though. The rockauto aftermarket replacements are much more $$$, why though.
.
.

 

Advantages over OEM is lighter weight (flywheel), meaning you'll put more power to the wheels, primarily in the first 3 gears, and stronger, meaning higher torque rating.

Between each aftermarket option is mostly a matter of preference and which type of clutch you like. Spec is a traditional clutch design, while the others are the same as OEM, a self-adjusting clutch design. The traditional ones tend to be a bit stronger.

 

80K miles isn't that crazy for a clutch to be shot. A true 'bad driver' can roast a clutch in a few hundred or few thousand miles from ignorance. If someone tried to do a burnout, and very slowly let off the clutch with the wheels never spinning, the clutch can be melted in seconds.

Shifting, especially starting from a stop, wears the clutch. Driving at a constant speed does not wear it any more than parked. How the vehicle was used is extremely important to determine why the clutch failed what you feel is early. Of course some people just slip the clutch all day and don't think much of it, yet others could just be beating on the car every day. A lot of people don't appear to know how a clutch works and think slipping it is totally fine. Minimizing clutch wear does not lead to smooth shifts and starts.

I'm told most TL-S's in TO are driven by old ladies. Clutch wear just might not be that high of a concern, shift quality could be the priority.

 

I'm right around 85k on my 07 TL-S and just replaced the clutch this winter. Exact same issue you described. You may not need a new flywheel at the moment, but definitely get the clutch done soon before the rivets on the clutch plate start grinding into the flywheel. Of course if you're planning to go aftermarket everything, then go ahead and grind away

Also while you're in there consider changing the rear main seal, it's all the same labor so you don't want to have to do that all over again for an inexpensive rubber seal.

 

Thanks for all the replies - does anyone know the best place in terms of price to source the spec clutch and all the others?

 

+1

I did this on mine too.

Spec, directly from Spec.

XLR8, directly from XLR8.

Clutchmasters + AASCO, usually better pricing from a vendor like XLR8, Heeltoe or eBay speed shop vendor. Basically, shop around, just make sure you buy from reputable place in case you need warranty / customer support.